can I use my discard to build preferment before feeding it?
I hate to throw away my extra starter each week and would rather use it in make some bread on my days off. Is it ok to feed the starter then use the discard that night to start a preferment for my final dough? Or is absolutley necessary for me to feed it then do the preferment. I refridgerate my starter during the week and usual have it at like 75% hydration. It's worker so far with the Pizza but I wonder how this is effecting my end product.
And another question- about proofing. My kitchen is pretty cold, like 65 F or lower. Should I let the fermentation/rise/proofing be in a warmer part of the house?
I have been using my discard to preferment the night before and make sourdough pizza with previously but haven't really attempted this with rolls or bread.
My starter is mainly KA AP flour
Thanks in advance.
Instead, I store it in a "discards" container in the fridge and use it to make pancakes, waffles, pizza skins, muffins, and even add it to non-sourdough yeast breads for flavor. I use a plastic Tupperware-type container that holds all my excess. Sometimes (like now!) I have a couple of these in storage until I can use some up. So don't throw it away, but save it and use it.
With that said though, yes you can also use your excess to make bread if your starter is peaked, mature and active when you feed it. You said you keep your starter in the fridge during the week, but how often do you feed it, and how long does it take to peak afterward? If it is fresh and active then you certainly can just divide it up, feed part and put it away and expand the rest into a batch of dough. I do so quite often.
I keep my 100% hydration starter in the fridge between uses because I can only bake a couple of times per week at the most. I take it out of the fridge a couple of hours before use. After it warms up to room temp (also about 65F in my kitchen) I take my portion for feeding and put it aside. I take my starter for dough from the balance, and any leftovers go into my "excess" storage container in the fridge. I clean my starter container, and feed my mother starter and set it aside to grow at room temp in the kitchen for a couple of hours, then return it to the fridge. I build my levain for dough with the portion measured for it, and typically use two expansions to get to my total preferment. By the end of the second expansion the levain is ready to go to work on the main dough.
About twice a month I "rev up" my starter by keeping it out of the fridge through a couple of consecutive feeding cycles, which for my starter only takes 3 feedings over about 24 hours at a 10 hour, then an 8 hour and finally at a 6 hour interval. The starter will have well more than doubled in that last 6 hour interval, so I will feed it and only give it an hour or so to activate then back in the refridgerator it goes till the next bake a few days later. If I am not able to bake for a week I feed the starter at least once, and perhaps more if it is being sluggish, before dividng off a portion for dough.
Proofing at or below 65F can be done but you really have to have a lot of patience and be willing to wait for it. Yeast really slows down as the temperature of the dough goes down, and the dough temperature will not maintain if there is a steep difference to room temps. As I said above, my kitchen is only about 65F this time of year, and I do my proofing in a warmer room where it is closer to 70F. I'd suggest you do the same if you want things to move faster, but you have not really said you are having a problem with it. If it is working, don't try to fix it!
Happy Baking
OldWoodenSpoon
Thanks so much for your input. I really appreciate it. I feed my starter 1-2 times a week and I take it out the day before I bake. I devided it and feed my discard and the starter. I then let it set out of the fridge over night-the starter and the discard which is my preferment for my dough. I usually more than doubles with in 6 hours of the feeding. I would say it almost triples.
My proofing and rise do take a while longer in my kitchen since it's cold like yours but I wait for it. If I need to speed it up I usuallly put it in the oven which I turn on for a minute to warm.
I am guessing feeding before making the preferment would make a difference so next week I will try that. As for now my dough is mixed and rising. yumm.
Thanks for your instructions OldWoodenSpoon!
I would just like to ask - how long do you store (maximum) the excess to be used in pancakes, muffins etc... BTW, when I tried to use these just for flavor in yeasted breads it was not a good idea - the dough went very liquid. I guess it could because of too much protease or acidity in the old starter.
You say your starter doubls in 12-8-6 hours : what ratio do you feed your starter?
I tried to put to the fridge 2 starter - one 100% hydration, one 60% hydration. The first one did not rise so well as the second and also it began to sink after just 2 days in the fridge. Would that be OK? (before refrigerating I fed it 1:4:4)
Any idea?
Thanks,
zdenka